Addressing machine



July 6 1926. 1,591,788

E. R. SMITH E'I' AL ADDRESSING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 4, 1922 July 6 1926.

E. R. SMITH ET AL' ADDRESSING MACHINE 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Twila z? Gmazfk Filed Nov. 4,

E. R. SMITH ET AL ADDRESSING MACHINE July 6 1926.

4 Sheets-Sht Filed' Nov, 4-, 1922 1,591,788 E. R. SMITH ET AL ADDRESSING MACHINE July- 6, 1926.

H z p w 9%... QNNQNN W QN Patented July 5, 1926.

sat" I reg me Entrants. 2E:

EDWIN LR." Sllilli'lfi; VIILLIAM RIUE, AN D JOHN-3., JACKSON", OFTFiTGHBURCir, MASSA-V CHU'SETTSQASSIGNORS T01 AUTD MA'ILINGf MACHINERY, COMPANY} A. YCORBORA:

TIONi- 01E" MASSACHUSETT ADDRESSING *MAGHIN'E.

Appl-icationufilediNovember 4; .1922 Serial Nos 599,122":

This invention: relates z to Ea maehinee for:

addressing envelopes;v andii other. similar:

articles: froinpreviously;- prepared-i stencils: It: is the object of OlII'fflIlVQlllllQll' to im- 6 prove: the construction and: operation-2 of suchimachines andzto renderz-thjem 3 11101182 reliableand iefficient .wheniinguse. With this; general obj ectzin v view; ,oneefeaa ture of our; invention relates; toaethes a provie 1 sion of improved; devices? for; feeding; the: V stencils,; including meansforrconnting the stencils actually fed: andf fer: preventing." damage in the event of as misplaced:v or: blocked stencil; We .haveaso provided-new and improved; mechanism for feedings the envelopes. singly totheir conveyingz. devices: and: for stopping: and releasing theenvelop ess at the printing point;

Ai furtherrdetail' ofiourrinventiom p,er-.' ta-ins-z tow a presser or! platen removablya mounted: to permitiinspection s of parts: idls: posed? thereunder: V

' Our invention further relates to arrange?- merits and 1; combinations of .p arts; which: will 1 larly" pointed font inthe appendedtclaims. 4

A preferred form" of: our: invention: is; shown in: the: drawings in which Eig,- 1 13 is aeplan vievwof our improved; machine;

FigxQ isiadetailv side-a elevationelooking; in: the direction ofithe arrow '2 in; Eig. 1;;

Fig; Sa is; azsectional sideselevation vtaken alongrs the :line lie-31 :in ;Figs .1

Eig'siisia detail sectional side elevation, taken along the line.:424ein Eigalg:

Fig; -5iis a 'ipartial frontnelevation, ,looking in .theiidirectiorriof thelarroxv 5'j-lH.F.lg;fl; Fig; 6 isaplanavievv of?parts;of theafeeds. :iBn'g mechanismataken along-the :line.6: 6win sig. 3;; I Rig? .7? issaiplan .view :of; partssaof itheridriw ing andi conveying? mechanism; looking; in theidireetion off'tlie aarrowallin Eig: v 8; i 7 Fig. 8 is a sideaelevationiofiithe driving; mechanism;shovvniiinuFiga7 Fig; 9 is -.a a rear elvatioiriofithe: machine; witlr. certainsrpjarts iomitted; looking; in; the; direction toffthe :arrowcQainzFig-z.13 ;-and I Eigza 10 is 5; aidetail: elevationv 05f? parts: of: the :stencil feed;

fleferring tov the drawings, We; have slrovvni a; machine. particularly adaptedi for; addressingtrenvelopes. The: several apartseof.

be hereinafter describedi and. more part-icui:

the: machine are; assembled; upon;- ae frame: comprising; a: base, on table: 20: and: endtz framermembersssfzli and? 22;: A main: driveinggshaft 23 (Eigsfi j; is; supported gin": fixed-l bearings 26; I and-i 2.7 and is v prov-iledl Wltllf: a pulleyzr28rco nnected: :biy belti29rrto1 a; -.s11);&ller pulley 3.0 onza countershaft:rotatable; in:a:; fixed bearingfila A: gear 32;: andjalapinion-i 33;;form a drivingeonnection :to the counter: shaft from a motor 34:, thus providing: means bYt'WhiC-h'? the main-shaft: 23-' Inay;be continuouslysrotated.-. It, will} be understood,=- that: the: driving mechanism; shownis; ile, lnstrative; only andathat {H1575 other suitable; drivingconneetions'; may be substituted? therefor:

Thedriving; shaft. 23;is :-con1;1ectedJOY- gearss35sand; 36- (Eigs. .37and:.5) toga cross; sh-aftir37 (Figgifi); The1;shaft zrotates in'; bearings 38= depending from the: tables 207 and is -provideclat itsrearqendrwithaa wide, face pulley; 39': connected by a, crossrbelt ,oirzrope-:40 :to: apulleydtl; atztheyend oi the? ink; fountaiirA2', The'ap-u'lley; 4:1 isiconneetndEto. drive a mixing device in theainlzafountaimu A box; orrcasing; 48 is monnted 2 above the inln fountainAQ; and; contains ink: rollers? (not shown) actuated Ifrom llllflg shaft; 3'Z{tor convey iIllQtO; zthe stenoilsaof: 'theiaddressing machine; This lHlClIIgylllBCllfllllSlI-l;l1OW6VB15T forms no ,-part- .of our'presentiinvention and: 85 itfis merely rnecessary; towstatez that tllQzrI'Oll; ers; intermittently: receive; a: fresh; supply of; ink; from the ink} fountain and; transfer:v the ink .througlrjxthe stencilstdthe envelopes-:- orother articles; tome-addressed.

The: driving, shaft 231 is connectedi through, a, sprocket 45,,aa chain l6, (Fig. 8-) and? a: sprocket 4.7- tosaw-feed S11fi-fl3al8.r,- Theash-aft.v 4L8?-is thus driven continuously and rotates feeding rolls- 49 (Fig- 6 Wlll'Cha a:re-..-each; 9 provided witmpadsgfifi-o-f-1ruhber; or: other friction material extending over! a; portion-1- only of the' periphery thereof? The rolls; 49 are looatedg adjacent thev lowenendsof-tanwinelinedifeed:box or chute; 1 0 comprising: a: bottom .51 (Fig. tsides'r52a' and: at. curved topv ands end; plate 5-3; The; envelopes ,-E p1aced-in thekfeed box, descend: by, gravity; to ,thegp osition -indicatediin S, at which: pointtheelowest envelope; is-.-

advanced between :theroll- 49;;and l. the curved end of the plate 51; whereeit {is engaged by;- the :frictiomPad-s; 50 A; series @of; retarding;

rolls 5-1 are mounted on a shaft above and closely adjacent the rolls 19. The shaft 55 is positively driven from the shaft 18 by a chain 56 and sprockets 57 and 58 7 and S). The adjacent surfaces of the rolls 19 and 5% thus move oppositely and the upper rolls 5:1 act to brush back or retard any extra envelope advanced by the feed rolls 1-9.

In order to assist the advance movement of the lower envelopes toward the feed rolls, we have provided an agitating device comprising apad or block 60 (Fig. 3) mounted on an arm 61 pivoted at 62 and intermittently engaged by a cam 63 (Fig. 6) on the feed shaft 48. The block (30 thus 1' peatedly en gages the envelopes in the feed 30X, forcing them slightly backward and then releasii them so that the lowermost envelope may be easily advanced by gravity to the feed rolls.

As each envelope is delivered singly by the rolls 19, it is received between conveyor belts 6st and 65 (Fig. The upper belts 61 are supported on driving pulleys 60 and guide rolls 07. The pulleys 06 are fixed to a cross shaft 68 which connected by a pinion 69 and gear 70 (Fig. 8) to the feed shaft 48. The lower belts 65 are mounted on guide rolls 71 and driving pulleys 72. the latter being fast on a cross shaft 73. The shaft 73 is connected by a pinion 7% to a pinion 75 (Fig. 7) on the upper conveyor shaft (58. By these connections, the upper and lower belts are continuously driven at the same speed.

As the belts 6-1- and 05 are moved continuously, it is necessary that a stop be provided to hold the envelopes momentarily stationary while the address is placed thereon. For this purpose, we have provided stop pins 80, (Fig. 3) vertically slidable in fixed bearings 81 and connected at their upper ends to arms 82 on a rock shaft 88. An arm 8-1 on the shaft 83 is connected by a link 85 to a slotted plate 86 (Fig. i) through which extends the feed shaft 48. A cam 87 on the shaft 18 intermittently engages a cam roll 88 on the plate 40 and thus raises the stop pins to permit an envelope to pass thereunder. A spring 89 (Fig. i) normally retains the stops in operative position.

As the ink rollers press the stencils against the envelope to be addressed, a presser foot or platen (Fig. 3) is depressed to engage the upper face of the envelope. The platen is adjustably secured by clamps 91 to the lower end of a plunger 92 slidably mounted in a bracket 93 secured to the vertical face of a frame member 91 by a stud 95 and clamping nut or handle 96. A stop pin 97 (Fig. 9) assists in determining the vertical or operative position of the platen. while at the same time the bracket 93 may be swung away from the stop about the axis of the stud 95 when it is desired to inspect the ink rollers or to make other adjustments or repairs.

The plunger 92 has a roll 98 at its upper end engaging a cam 99 on a cam shaft 100 (Fig. 9). The shaft 100 is supported in bearings on the frame member 91 and is connected by a sprocket 101, chain 102 and sprocket 103 *ig. to the drive shaft 2 3.

The envelopes released by the conveyor belts 6-1 and (55 fall upon delivery belts 105 (Figs. 1 and 3) running over a collecting table 106. The belts 105 are mounted upon guide rolls 107 (Fig. 1) and driving pulleys 108 (Fig. 3) on a cross shaft 109. A ratchet wheel 110 (Fig. 2) is fixed on the shaft 109 and is intermittently actuated by a pawl 111 mounted on a swinging plate 112 which is connected by a link 113 to an eccentric stud 11-1 (Fig. 9) radially adjustable in a slotted disc 115 on the cam shaft 100. The rate of feed of the belts 105 may thus be varied by adjusting the stud 114 in the slotted disc 115.

The stencils S for use in the machine are placed in the stencil magazine 110 (Fig. 9) from which the bottom stencil is S1l(C'U$Sl\'O- ly removed by a transverse reciprocating feed plate or slide 117 (Fig. 10). This feed ilate is provided with projections or lodges 118 for engaging and advancing the stencils and is connected by a link 119 to a lever 120 pivoted at 121 and connected by a link 122 to a counting device 123 (Fig. 9). A record is thus kept of the number of stencils removed from the stencil magazine 11s.

The stencil slide 117 is actuated from an eccentric 124 on the cross shaft 37. The cc centric link 125 is provided with a give-way connection to a stud or pin 120 (Fig. 10) on the lever 120. For this purpose, the head 12. of the link 125 is provided with an open notch in its upper surface to receive the pin 126 and a bell crank 128 is pivoted on the head 127 and is yieldingly forced against the upper side of the pin 126 by a spring 129 carried by the link.

If a stencil becomes misplaced or the reciprocating movement of the slide 117 is otherwise prevented, the give-way connection permits the link 125 to be pulled off of the stud 120, thus preventing breakage of the feeding mechanism. )Vhen the link is disconnected from the lever 120, it is supported by a hook 130 (Fig. 9) provided for this particular purpose.

Presser discs 131 (Figs. 1 and 3) are mounted upon rearwardly extending pivoted arms 32 and cause the envelopes discharged from the conveyor belts 6+1- and 65 to be more efiectively engaged by the delivery belts 105.

{aving thus described certain details of our improved addressing machine, the operation thereof will be readily apparent. A supply of envelopes is placed in the feed box and a supply of stencils in the stencil magazine. The machine is then started and the envelopes are advanced one at a vtime to the conveyor belts 64 and 65 while at the sametime the stencils are successively advanced by the stencil slide 117. As the envelopes are stopped by the pins 80, the presser foot 90 descends and the ink rollers at the same time engage the underside of the stencil, holding it against the superposed envelope. The p resser foot rises, the stop pins 80 are withdrawn, the addressed envelope is advanced to the delivery belts 105 and a fresh stencil and envelope are simultaneously advanced.

After each stencil has been used, it is delivered to a collecting box or magazine 135 (Fig. 9) and is positively pressed downward the advantages thereof, we do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what we claim is 1. In an addressing machine, a plurality of stencils, a stencil slide by which said stencils are singly advanced in spaced relation to addressing position, and means to reciprocate said slide at regular intervals, said means being positively actuated in both directions and including a connection adapted to yield if feeding movement of conveyor belts, delivery belts, continuous driving mechanism for said conveyor belts,

tion of parts of the machine covered bysaid platen.

In testimony whereof they have hereunto affixed their signatures.

EDWVIN B. SMITH. WILLIAM R. RICE. JOHN R. JACKSON. 

